MARGAO
Churchill Brothers Sports Club will look to continue their winning momentum when they take on a spirited Indian Arrows team in the I-League at Tilak Maidan, Vasco on Saturday.
The Red Machines go into the match on the back of a 1-0 win over champions Aizawl. The Goan team had beaten the young Arrows 2-0 in their first encounter in the league and would be eager to do a double over Luis Norton de Matos’ boys and consolidate their position in the mid table. A win on Saturday will take Alfred Fernandes’ men to 19 points, just below fourth placed Mohun Bagan (21 pts).
“It (the win against Aizawl) was a great performance. But that game is a thing of past. We can only better the perforamce or hold on to that showing. Besides, there is no room for complacency too,” Fernandes told The Goan after a practice session.
“My players know they have to win most of the matches in order to finish in top three. It may not be easy, but our focus will be to maintain the momentum. Indian Arrows players did really well in the Under-17 World Cup and will be tough opponents and we need to stay focused,” Fernandes stated.
The Churchill Brothers coach added, “We have prepared for it and now we are ready to give our best and win the match against Indian colts. Like we have assessed the opposition, the Indian Arrows coach has also studied our players. There are advantages and disadvantages of facing a known opponent. It will be very competitive match.”
Fernandes added that the team’s primary target is to improve upon their last season’s performance where they finished sixth with 20 points. Koffi Mechac’s good form is something that is giving the Churchill Brothers think tank a reason to smile. Arriving mid-season, the Ivorian forward has been instrumental in Red Machines’ turnaround. Fernandes will again expect a starring performance from his influential forward, who has already scored four goals for the Goans.
The match is scheduled at 5.30 pm and will be telecast live on Star Sports 2/2 HD and streamed live on Hotstar
and Jio TV.
